Pyotr Fomenko’s stage production of the well-known play by the great 19th century Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky does away with all the rules of its usual comprehension. The colours are subdued, and the stage sets are minimalistic. There are no melodramatics here, no boisterous merchants, and no languid songs. Still, there are songs, but they are bitter, terrifying, desperate. And the Gypsies, as written by Ostrovsky, remind one of the flock of Macbethian witches.

Awards

Nominated for the Golden Mask Prize in the “Drama/Best Large Scale Production” category, 2009

Pyotr Fomenko was nominated for the Golden Mask Prize in the “Drama/Best Director” category, 2009

Polina Agureeva won the Golden Mask Prize in the “Drama/Best Actress” category, 2009

Yevgeny Tsyganov was nominated for the Golden Mask Prize in the “Drama/Best Actor” category, 2009

Without a Dowry seems like a watershed moment for the Fomenko Workshop Theater. (Ostrovsky himself considered it a turning point). Pyotr Fomenko has directed a very severe and bitter production about human ruthlessness and false, surrogate, perverted values, be that morality, reputation or an honest merchant’s word. He speaks about the world, where the person’s “price” is equal to his financial, not spiritual spending. Working as if with a polishing stone, Fomenko clears away all the romantic gold-plating of this play.

Olga Fuks, Evening Moscow

Characters and Cast

Cast for

all

December 11

Kharita Ignatyevna Ogudalova ,middle-aged widow; dressed elegantly, but boldly and too young for her yearsNatalia Kurdyubova

Larisa Dmitrievna,her daughter, a young woman dressed well but modestlyPolina Agureeva

Mokii Parmenych Knurov,a major man of modern business, elderly, with a huge fortuneAlexei Kolubkov

Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov,very young man, a representative of a wealthy commercial enterprise; dressed like a EuropeanTomas Mockus